55 RETIRMENT VISA

[bigal]

Hi, Does anyone know anything about a retirement visa for people over 55?

[lopburi3]

Income/pension that brings 65,000 baht per month into Thailand or 800,000 in a Thai bank account is the new basic requirement. Probably can find additional information if you search this board. The official site still lists the old income requirements and age bands but other information is probably correct:

 

http://www.police.go.th/thaiimb/frmain510.htm

[phiketpete]

qualifying age for retirement visa is now 50 if i am not mistaken

[racha]

http://www.thai-consulate.org.hk/retirement_visa(revised).htm

 

 

 

1. Qualifications for the Applicant

 

 

 

1.1 An alien being 50 years of age and above (on the date of submitting an application).

 

 

 

1.2 Not being a person prohibited from entering the Kingdom.

 

 

 

1.3 Having no criminal record against the security of Thailand and the country of his/her nationality, or the country of his/her residence.

 

 

 

1.4 Having the nationality of or the residence in the country where his/her application is submitted.

 

 

 

1.5 Not having prohibitive diseases as indicated in the Ministerial Regulation No. 14 (B.E. 2535).

 

 

 

1.6 Not being allowed to work in Thailand.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2. Documents for the Application

 

 

 

2.1 A passport valid no less than one year and a half

 

 

 

2.2 Three copies of a Visa Application Form (with photos)

 

 

 

2.3 A Personal Data Form

 

 

 

2.4 A copy of a bank statement showing a deposit at the amount equal to no less than 800,000 Baht, or an income certificate (an original copy) with a monthly salary of no less than 65,000 Baht, or a deposit account plus a monthly income of no less than 800,000 Baht a year.

 

 

 

2.5 In the case of the bank statement, a letter of guarantee from the bank (an original copy) is to be shown as well.

 

 

 

2.6 Verification starting that the applicant has no criminal record issued from the country of his/her nationality or residence. The verification shall be valid for no more than 3 months. In Hong Kong, the certificate of No Criminal Conviction is issued by Hong Kong Police Force by the request of the Royal Thai Consulate-General, Hong Kong.

 

 

 

2.7 A medical certificate issued from the country where the application is submitted showing no prohibitive diseases as indicated in the Ministerial Regulation No. 14 (B.E. 2535) (the certificate shall be valid for no more than 3 months).

 

 

 

2.8 In the case that the applicant wishes to have his/her spouse stay together in the Kingdom but the spouse is not qualified for the O-A code visa, their marriage certificate shall also be produced as evidence. (The spouse will be considered for the Visa for Temporary Residents under the 'O' Code).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

3. Recommendations for the Alien While Staying in the Kingdom

 

 

 

3.1 When completing the stay of 90 days in the Kingdom, the alien shall report to the competent authority and repeat it every 90 days with the immigration officer in the alien's residence area, or report to the police station in the alien's residence area if there is no immigration control there.

 

 

 

(In order to report to the competent authority by mail, the alien shall do as follows:

 

 

 

- The Report Form (To Mo 47) together with a copy of the passport pages showing the alien's photo, personal details, and the latest arrival visa stamp as well as a self addressed envelop with postage affixed, shall be forwarded, by 7 days before the due date, by acknowledgement of receipt mail to the Immigration Bureau, Sathon Tai Road, Sathon District, Bangkok 10120.

 

 

 

In the case of conducting any following reports, the Reply Form for the previous report shall be enclosed as well.)

 

 

 

3.2 At the end of the one-year stay, the alien who wishes to extend his/her stay shall submit a request for the extended period at the Immigration Bureau with documented evidence of money transfer, or a deposit account in the Kingdom, or an income certificate, at the amount of no less than 800,000 Baht, or an income certificate plus a deposit account at the total amount of no less than 800,000 Baht a year.

 

 

 

3.3 If the alien's spouse wishes to extend his/her stay as well, the marriage certificate shall be produced.

 

 

[Stickman]

Yes, the age of qualification is 50... I got an email from someone this week. I am usually loathe to include private email on a message board, but as it is all somewhat innocuous - and may be useful to some people, I will include this below:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Being a regular reader of your weekly column and having just gone through the process of obtaining an O-A 1 year visa, I was interested to see your comments about applying for retirement visas. I live in Sydney Australia and obtained a visa from the Thai consulate here. There were several requirements and it took a month to complete them all. It certainly is NOT just a matter of filling out a form. Let me list them for you. You must be over 50 years old. You must have no criminal record and must obtain a police certificate from your country of residence to prove it. You must get a medical certificate showing that you do not have: leprosy, tuberculosis, drug addiction, alcoholism, syphilis, filariasis. You must have a bank statement (from my local bank in Australia) showing that you have the equivalent of 800,000 baht on deposit. Finally you must get all of these certificates notarized. Also you need 3 passport photos and your passport must be valid for at least one and a half years. There is a fair amount of cost involved in getting the certificates and having them notarized. But once you obtain them, the Thai consulate issues the single entry visa that is good for one year. I was told by the consul that I was the first person to complete the procedure (maybe the rules have changed). Others apparently said it was too complicated and didn't go through with it.

 

 

 

Then after you arrive in Thailand, you must fill out a report form every 90 days and send it to the immigration department. If you want to leave Thailand and come back you must get a reentry permit from immigration. After one year, you may extend the visa and apparently must show you have 800,000 baht in a Thai bank.

 

 

 

I hope Thailand is worth the trouble!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

[shotover]

"2.4 A copy of a bank statement showing a deposit at the amount equal to no less than 800,000 Baht, or an income certificate (an original copy) with a monthly salary of no less than 65,000 Baht, or a deposit account plus a monthly income of no less than 800,000 Baht a year."

 

 

 

Does the 65,000 baht monthly income have to be deposited in a Thai bank account, or can it be deposited into a foreign bank account?